By Purushothaman Ravichandran
President, Danfoss India and
Chairman, CII National Task Force on Cold Chain Development

Activities Planned in 2018
Given the Government’s priority for doubling farmers’ incomes, India needs to bring about a supply chain revolution for creating capacities and efficiencies in the supply chain network from the farm to the fork. With this agenda, the CII National Task Force on Cold Chain Development plans to undertake the following activities during this year to develop a holistic cold supply chain network in the country.

Impact Analysis of Existing Cold Chain Infrastructure
The project aims to carry out an impact analysis of the integrated distribution and logistical system that was built in Pune. The impact analysis will be done in terms of value created for farmers and consumers based on better returns to the farmers and availability of quality and fresh produce to the consumers compared to what they get in a conventional supply chain.

Ease of Doing Business
The study aims to provide recommendations on the framework for fast-track procedure or single window clearance to ease the setting up of cold chain infrastructure and the ways to tackle the operational challenges faced by cold store owners. It will also enable easy adoption of new technologies. The study is being conducted in nine states, namely Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.

Revival of Existing Cold Chain Infrastructure in West Bengal
The project aims to assess the current condition of the existing infrastructure at 36 pre-identified sites and provide recommendations related to technology upgradation, creating a sustainable agri supply chain model and draw up a detailed map of market linkages in the state. This will help the industry and business to expand their market and provide the right value to both farmers and consumers

Southern Grid as Distribution Hub for Agri Commodities
The project looks forward to connecting all the major consumption centers of Southern India through an integrated supply chain network via road and rail. The distribution centers will connect the southern produce and provide the required volume to scale up the operations of moving it to the northern region by overcoming challenges pertaining to marketing infrastructure, facilities for packaging, proper loading and unloading, etc. to ensure timely delivery of fresh perishable products.

Pilot Study in Andhra Pradesh for Inland and Marine Fisheries
The study is proposed to be conducted with the objective of viability assessment for marketing of marine and inland fisheries in the state of Andhra Pradesh. There is a strong need for the cold chain industry to come up with innovative and cost effective logistics solutions to ensure supply of safe, hygienic and nutritious fish to the consumer at a reasonable price. The project seeks to present a supply chain model for the marketing of fisheries and marine products in the country in an organized manner.

Training and Capacity Building
Looking at the entire agri value chain and need of the cold chain Industry, training programs are planned to be conducted on best practices in cold chain and handling operations to professionals of the cold chain industry.

Research and Studies
To explore the potential of the sector, need based market research and studies are being conducted to identify the gaps, undertake crop and state specific feasibility reports and value chain assessment of various agri commodities.

Cold Chain Awards
The third edition of  CII Cold Chain AwardsProgram, supported by NCCD, has been launched with the intent of promoting standards for excellence across business operators in India. This year, applications are invited in the following categories: Innovation in Cold Chain Technology or Business Model; Best Practices in Reefer Transport; Packhouse; Ripening Chamber; Best Integrated Supply Chain Solutions; and Best Practices in Cold Storage.

For more details and for downloading the application form, please visit http://face-cii.in/sites/default/files/2018/3rd-cii-coldchain-award/LOI%20CCA%20.pdf

The last date for submitting the duly filled applications is May 31.